This is a true story. A young man heads off on a journey to find out if magic still exists in the world, to know its wonder, and to see if it might save him when his own life is unexpectedly at stake.

In the Caribbean, he meets a Rastafarian Don Juan who teaches him about the ‘natural mystic’. Fate propels his travels through the Americas and Europe to locate the source of this knowledge in Mother Africa, where his own emerging mastery of mysticism is tested by the Sahara desert. He is imprisoned in Nigeria, and tortured, and then sold as a slave.

Magic is an incredible journey, both physical and spiritual, that reverberates with the uniqueness of lived adventure and of a passionate heart and vision. Upon closing the last page of this book, we ache for the innocence to lose our way and travel deeper, to rediscover the savage but delicious nature of the miraculous in our own lives.

‘They try and sayglory to God in the highest. I say it’s about glory to God in the lowest. You’re wasting your time if you can’t find God in the lowest places—and that’s where our protagonist finds his magic—in prison cells, and as a slave in forgotten parts of Africa, in slums of New Orleans, and mosquito-ridden coastlines in the Caribbean. This is an engrossing tale of a year down the path less travelled. Warm, funny and intensely human, Magic is an inspiring, deeply felt and painfully honest coming-of-age adventure. It’s a story of a perilous spiritual search that transcends religion, and an authentic adventure. An impressive debut.’—Father Bob Maguire

‘I couldn’t put it down.’—Sofie Laguna

‘This is such an original, page-turning adventure. What begins as a street-wise young man’s first journey into the world quickly morphs into a search for wonder and magic in life. The author becomes passport-less and walks off into the Sahara. It is a miracle that he survives. Imprisonment allows him to meet and come to love those who have despaired of freedom. This is ultimately a book about testing the limits of possibility and discovering the truths of existence and life. For high adventure it compares to Shantaram, in its search for the true self to The Alchemist. But it’s not like anything I have ever read. Its appeal will be across age and gender.’—Transit Lounge co-publisher Barry Scott

About the author

Jan Golembiewski grew up in suburban Canberra and in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. He has a PhD in psychological aspects of architecture, and he runs his own architectural practice specialising in psychological aspects of design. Jan lives in Sydney with his wife, the novelist Bem Le Hunte and their children (Taliesin, Rishi and Kashi) and a revolving collection of friends.

Watch Jan Golembiewski talking about Magic

Reading copy giveaway

To receive one of 10 reading copies of Magic, email info@transitlounge.com.au with ‘Magic B+P Giveaway’ in the subject line. The first 10 people to respond will receive a copy.